RACE IN THE SKY

India's aviation sector is abuzz with domestic airline companies scrambling to place orders for new, fuel-efficient aircraft as part of their fleet expansion plans to meet the growing surge in air traffic

- Ashish Sinha

The Tata Group’s love for Air India got a whole new meaning this Valentine’s Day. On February 14, Tata Sons placed an order for a whopping 470 aircraft, with an option to buy 370 more planes, by signing Letters of Intent (LoI) with Airbus and Boeing, the two largest manufacturers of aircraft.

The order consists of 40 Airbus A350s, 20 Boeing 787s and 10 Boeing 777-9s wide body aircraft, as well as 210 Airbus A320/321 Neos and 190 Boeing 737 MAX single-aisle aircraft. The A350 aircraft will be powered by Rolls-Royce engines, and the B777/787s by engines from GE Aerospace. All single-aisle aircraft will be powered by engines from CFM International.

N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons and Air India described the purchase order as “a large transformation journey” for Air India. “These new aircraft will modernise the airline’s fleet and on-board product, and dramatically expand its global network. The growth enabled by this order will also provide unparalleled career opportunities for Indian aviation professionals and catalyse accelerated development of the Indian aviation ecosystem,” he said.

This LoI is in line with Vihaan. AI, the airline’s transformational roadmap over five years with clear milestones. Vihaan. AI is aimed at putting Air India on a path of sustained growth, profitability and market leadership.